CN114632308A

CN114632308A - Swimming and hydropneumatic flipper with adjustable elastic heel strap

Info

Publication number: CN114632308A
Application number: CN202111468872.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 卡洛斯·阿尔贝多·哥铎
Original assignee: Cressi Sub SpA
Current assignee: Cressi Sub SpA
Priority date: 2020-12-15
Filing date: 2021-12-03
Publication date: 2022-06-17
Also published as: US20220184459A1; EP4015051A1

Abstract

The invention discloses a swim/scuba diving fin (1) having a fin web (2), a shoe (3) open at the rear, an adjustable elastic band (4) engageable around the heel of a scuba diver and two buckles (400A) connected to two opposite side walls of the shoe (3) at opposite ends (40A) of the adjustable elastic band (4), wherein at least one of the buckles (400A) has a shaped hollow body (401) integrally formed connected to a portion of the side wall, a channel (420) for axial sliding of the adjustable elastic band (4) and a releasable fastening clamp (430) of the adjustable elastic band (4), wherein such axial sliding channel (420) has a hole (403) for inlet of the adjustable elastic band (4), a hole (404) for outlet of the adjustable elastic band (4) and a hole (404) positioned between such inlet hole (403) and such outlet hole (404) The deflection angle (405) of the adjustable elastic band (4) therebetween.

Description

Swimming and hydropneumatic flipper with adjustable elastic heel strap

Technical Field

The invention relates to a swim and/or scuba diving fin with an adjustable elastic heel strap.

Background

Swim and/or scuba diving flippers have been on the market for some time and are characterized by a fin, a shoe open at the rear, and an adjustable strap engageable around the heel of the user for locking the foot in the shoe.

It is known that the strap must be able to adjust to the feet of scuba divers of different sizes, which must be able to use the flipper both without and with special underwater footwear.

As is known, elastic bands have been on the market for some time, these bands engaging the heel of the user.

It is known that such conventional straps mean that it is difficult to tension properly once the flipper is worn and to release quickly by the user when necessary.

It is known that such straps are inefficient, also because the traditional fastening system of the elastic element to the shoe open at the rear does not allow a simple and effective insertion and engagement of the user's heel.

Accordingly, there is a need to simplify the structure of the adjustable elastic heel strap for known swim and/or scuba diving flippers.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, it is a technical task of the present invention to provide a swim/hydropneumatic fin which obviates the above-mentioned technical drawbacks of the prior art.

As part of this technical task, the object of the present invention is to make a swim/scuba diving fin with a shoe open at the rear, in which the heel strap can be easily adjusted under tension.

Another object of the present invention is to manufacture a swimming/hydropneumatic flipper with a shoe open at the rear, wherein the heel strap can be easily engaged under tension.

Another object of the present invention is to make a swim/hydropneumatic flipper in which the strap has a fastening device with a shoe open at the rear that allows simple and effective insertion and engagement of the heel of the user.

Finally, the object of the present invention is to make a swim/scuba diving fin with a shoe open at the rear, wherein the fastening means of the elastic band to the shoe open at the rear and the tension fastening means of the band are of simple and compact design.

The technical task, as well as these and other objects, according to the present invention are achieved by making a swim/scuba diving fin having a fin, a shoe open at the rear, an adjustable elastic band engageable around the heel of a scuba diver, and two buckles connected at opposite ends of the band to respective opposite side walls of the shoe, characterized in that at least one buckle has at least one shaped hollow body integrally forming a part of the side wall connected to the shoe, at least one channel for the axial sliding of the band, having an aperture for the inlet of the band, an aperture for the outlet of the band, and a deflection angle of the band positioned between the inlet aperture and the outlet aperture, and at least one releasable fastening clip of the band.

In a preferred embodiment, the releasable fastening clip is positioned outside of the sliding channel.

In a preferred embodiment, the releasable fastening clip has two opposed jaws defining a fastening groove where the strap can be laterally introduced and withdrawn.

In a preferred embodiment, the opposed jaws have an inverse distance less than the diameter at the remainder of the belt.

In a preferred embodiment, the buckle is made in one piece by molding a polymer resin.

In a preferred embodiment, the band is configured to decrease in diameter as the band moves from a resting state to a tensile stressed state.

Furthermore, other features of the invention are defined in the following claims.

Drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description of preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the swim/scuba diving fin according to the invention, illustrated by way of reference and non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

fig. 1 shows a fully assembled view of the flipper;

FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the strap shoe, hinge pin and buckle;

FIG. 3A shows a rear assembly view of the shoe, buckle and strap engaged with one another, and in particular, with the strap engaged in the buckle clip;

FIG. 3B shows a rear assembly view of the shoe, buckle and strap disengaged from one another, and in particular, the strap disengaged from the buckle clamp;

figure 4 shows a perspective view of the buckle;

figures 5A, 5B, 5C show two views and sections of the buckle;

fig. 6A, 6B show the engagement mode of the buckle with the hinge pin;

fig. 7A, 7B show views and sections, respectively, of a buckle and a strap engaged on a user's heel.

Detailed Description

With reference to the cited figures, a swim/scuba diving fin is shown, indicated as a whole by reference numeral 1.

The fin 1 has a fin panel 2, a shoe 3 open at the rear, and an adjustable elastic band 4 engageable around the heel of a scuba diver.

The two opposite ends 40A and 40B of the strap 4 are connected to two buckles 400A connected to respective hinge pins 300A protruding from two opposite side walls of the shoe 3.

It should be noted that in other embodiments not shown, each buckle 400A may be permanently or removably attached to the sidewall of the shoe 3, with or without the use of a pin-fixed or rotatable version.

At least one buckle 400A has a shaped hollow body 401 integrally formed to be connected to a portion of the lateral wall of the shoe, an axial sliding channel 420 of the elastic band 4 and a releasable radial fastening clamp 430 of the elastic band 4, i.e. a releasable fastening clamp 430 acting on the elastic band 4 transversely to the longitudinal dimension of the elastic band 4.

The connecting portion, shown by way of example, includes a housing 410 for the hinge pin 300A.

Advantageously, the buckle 400A, which integrates the connection with the shoe open at the rear portion 3 and the adjustment of the adjustable elastic band 4, is made in a single piece by moulding a polymer resin.

Such an axial sliding channel 420 has a hole 403 for the inlet of the elastic band 4, a hole 404 for the outlet of the elastic band 4 and a deflection angle 405 of the elastic band 4 positioned between the inlet hole 403 and the outlet hole 404.

The inlet aperture 403 and the outlet aperture 404 lie in orthogonal planes.

Deflection angle 405 is defined by throttling wall 405A of elastic band 4 within axial sliding channel 420.

A releasable radial fastening clamp 430 is positioned outside the axial sliding channel 420 of the elastic band 4 and has two

opposite jaws

406A and 406B delimiting a fastening groove 407 where the band 4 can be introduced and extracted transversely.

Suitably, at least one of the two

opposing jaws

406A, 406B has a toothing 416, wherein the toothing has tapered teeth.

The inlet holes 403 and the fastening grooves 407 lie on parallel planes, and the fastening grooves 407 are arranged in staggered positions and communicate with the outlet holes 404 of the axial sliding channel 420.

Typically, the adjustable elastic band 4 has a constant circular cross-section and is composed of a bundle of strands in a polymeric elastic material covered by a sheath of appropriately braided wires of larger unit diameter, the adjustable elastic band 4 being configured to reduce its diameter when it moves from a rest state to a tensile stress state.

Suitably, the two opposing

jaws

406A and 406B have an inverse distance less than the diameter at the rest of the elastic band 4.

At least one hinge pin 300A has a shaft 301 ending in an enlarged head 302 which in turn has a proximal base 303 proximal to the shaft and a distal base 304 distal to the shaft.

The casing 410 of the shaped hollow body 401 has an opening 411 for the passage of the stem 301 of the hinge pin 300A, surrounded by a resting shelf 412 for the proximal base 303 of the enlarged head 302 of the hinge pin 300A, and an elastically yielding tab 413 exerting an elastic force on the distal base 304 of the enlarged head 302 of the hinge pin 300A for retaining the proximal base 303 of the enlarged head 302 against the resting shelf 412.

The operation of the swim/scuba diving fin according to the present invention is apparent from the description and drawings and, in particular, is substantially as follows.

The flipper, before being worn by the user, has its two buckles 400A connected in rotation in a plane orthogonal to the axis of the respective hinge pins 300A projecting from the two opposite side walls of the shoe 3.

At least one of the two opposite ends 40A of the elastic band 4 is connected to at least one of the two buckles 400A, typically both opposite ends 40A are connected.

The end 40A of the elastic band 4 enters the housing 410 of the shaped hollow body 401 through the inlet hole 403, slides into the axial sliding channel 420 defined by the throttling wall 405A of the deflection angle 405, exits from the outlet hole 404 and is locked in the radial fastening clamp 430 by the two

opposite jaws

406A and 406B in the fastening groove 407.

The buckle 400A is rotatably engaged with the hinge pin 300A by a rod 301 passing through a passage opening 411 of the shaped hollow body 401, and the proximal base 303 of the enlarged head 302 is engaged against the resting shelf 412 by an elastic retention force exerted by an elastically yielding tab 413 on the distal base 304.

The user exposes his/her foot or fits the footwear in the shoe 3, which is open at the rear, and engages the adjustable elastic band 4 around his/her heel: advantageously, the buckle 400A is free to rotate in a plane orthogonal to the axis of the hinge pin 300A and therefore allows the user to position the strap 4 appropriately around his/her heel.

The freedom of rotation of the buckle 400A about the rotation pin 300A advantageously allows the adjustment action and the stress on the belt 4 to be purely axial.

Thus, the user laterally releases the elastic band 4 from the radial tightening clamp 430 in which it is locked, and pulls the elastic band 4 in one direction or the other — shortening or lengthening the elastic band 4 by sliding the elastic band 4 along the axial sliding channel 420 until the desired adjustment position is achieved.

The user then pulls the tab off the end 40A from the exit hole 404 by keeping the elastic band 4 temporarily locked in the adjusted position due to the sliding resistance caused by the throttling wall 405A.

The advantageous feature of the adjustable elastic band 4 configured to decrease in diameter as it moves from a resting state to a tensile stressed state allows the user to neck it diametrically under the applied tension and thus easily introduce laterally away from the tab whose end 40A now necks in the fastening groove 407 of the radial fastening clip 430.

When the user then releases the applied tension, the tab leaving the end 40A of the adjustable elastic band 4 is fastened by the radial fastening clamp 430 by returning to the larger rest diameter, thus positively locking the adjustable elastic band 4 in the adjustment position thus selected and defined.

Advantageously, for subsequent modification of the adjustment position or for complete disengagement of the adjustable elastic band 4 from the heel, the user pulls the tab leaving the end portion 40A from the exit hole 404 until it necks down diametrically, and withdraws laterally the tab leaving the end portion 40A necked down by the fastening groove 407 of the radial fastening clip 430, so as to disengage the tab and thus enable self-determined adjustment thereof.

In practice it has been found that the swim/hydropneumatic flipper according to the invention is particularly advantageous by having a heel strap that is easily adjustable under tension and easily engageable.

The swim/scuba diving flipper according to the invention is also particularly advantageous thanks to the device for fastening the strap to the shoe open at the rear, which allows a simple and effective insertion and engagement of the user's heel.

Finally, an advantage of the invention is to make a swim/scuba diving fin with a shoe open at the rear, in which the elastic band is of an integrated, simple and compact design with the fastening means of the shoe open at the rear and the fastening means of the tension of the band, and made in one piece by moulding a polymer resin.

The swim/scuba diving flipper thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all falling within the scope of the inventive concept, as defined by the claims; moreover, all the details may be replaced with technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

Claims

1. A swim/hydropneumatic flipper (1), the swim/hydropneumatic flipper (1) having a fin panel (2), a shoe (3) open at the rear, an adjustable elastic band (4) engageable around the heel of a scuba diver and two buckles (400A) connected to two opposite side walls of the shoe (3) at opposite ends (40A) of the adjustable elastic band (4), characterized in that at least one of the buckles (400A) has a shaped hollow body (401) integrally forming a part connected to the side wall of the shoe (3), an axial sliding channel (420) for the adjustable elastic band (4) and a releasable fastening clamp (430) of the adjustable elastic band (4), the axial sliding channel (420) having an inlet hole (403) for the adjustable elastic band (4), An outlet aperture (404) for the adjustable elastic band (4) and a deflection angle (405) of the adjustable elastic band (4) positioned between the inlet aperture (403) and the outlet aperture (404).

2. The swim/hydropneumatic fin (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the buckle (400A) is made in one piece by molding a polymer resin.

3. Swim/hydropneumatic flipper (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjustable elastic band (4) is configured to decrease in diameter when it moves from a rest state to a tensile stress state.

4. Swim/hydropneumatic flipper (1) according to claim 1, wherein the releasable fastening clip (430) is positioned outside the axial sliding channel (420).

5. Swim/hydropneumatic flipper (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the releasable fastening clip (430) has two opposite jaws (406A, 406B) delimiting a fastening groove (407) where the adjustable elastic band (4) can be laterally introduced and extracted.

6. Swim/hydropneumatic flipper (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the opposing jaws (406A, 406B) have an inverse distance smaller than the diameter at the rest of the adjustable elastic band (4).

7. Swim/scuba diving flipper (1) according to any of claims 5 to 6, characterized in that said fastening groves (407) are arranged in a staggered position and communicate with the outlet hole (404) of an axial sliding channel (420) for the adjustable elastic band (4).

8. Swim/scuba diving flipper (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said inlet aperture (403) and said outlet aperture (404) are located on orthogonal planes.

9. Swim/scuba diving flipper (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that said inlet hole (403) and said fastening groove (407) are located on parallel planes.

10. The swim/hydropneumatic flipper (1) as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least one of the two opposing jaws (406A, 406B) has a toothing (416).

11. The swim/hydropneumatic fin (1) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the toothing (416) has tapered teeth.

12. Swim/hydropneumatic flipper (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the deflection angle (405) is defined by a throttling wall (405A) of the adjustable elastic band (4) inside the axial sliding channel (420).

13. Swim/scuba diving flipper (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting portion comprises a housing (410) for a hinge pin (300A) extending from the side walls of the shoe (3), said hinge pin (300A) having a stem (301) ending with an enlarged head (302) in turn having a proximal base (303) proximal to the stem (301) and a distal base (304) distal to the stem (301), and in that the housing (410) of the shaped hollow body (401) has an opening (411) for the passage of the stem (301) surrounded by a shelf (412) for the proximal base (303) of the enlarged head (302) and an elastically yielding tab (413) exerting an elastic force on the distal base (304) of the enlarged head (302) for holding against the shelf (412) for retaining the shelf (412) Holding the proximal base (303).

14. A method for adjusting the adjustable elastic band (4) of a swim/hydropneumatic fin (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that: -pulling the adjustable elastic band (4) in one direction or the other by sliding the adjustable elastic band (4) along the axial sliding channel (420) until the adjustable elastic band reaches a desired adjustment position, and keeping the adjustable elastic band temporarily locked in the adjustment position due to the sliding resistance caused by the throttling wall (405A); pulling the tab off the end (40A) from the exit hole (404) until the tab necks down diametrically under the applied tension; -transversely introducing said tab necked in said fastening groove (407) of said fastening clip (430) away from said end portion (40A); and releasing the lifting of the tab off the end (40A), the tab being fastened by the fastening clamp (430) by returning to a larger rest diameter, thereby positively locking the adjustable elastic band (4) in the adjustment position.

15. Method for adjusting the adjustable elastic band (4) of the swim/scuba diving fin (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that the tab leaving the end portion (40A) is pulled from the outlet hole (404) until it necks down diametrically and is withdrawn laterally leaving the end portion (40A) necked down by the fastening groove (407) of the fastening clamp (430), thereby disengaging the tab for subsequent modification of the adjustment position.